EDITORIAL: Home field advantage

It’s not much more than a nice flat, field away from pine trees and powerlines.

But to the residents of Houlka it will become the center of their community next fall.
The Houlka Wildcat football team hope to play their first home game in Houlka next fall and after four years of traveling to play every game, it will not come a day too soon.
The Chickasaw County School District started their football program in 2008 with an eye on keeping kids from dropping out of school. The idea is to use athletics as an incentive for students to make good grades and stay in school.
This field is all about improving the quality of life for Houlka. We are pleased with the way this little town came together to make something big happen
The City of Houlka donated a section of land on the north side of Highway 32 West. Chickasaw County Supervisors are going to help haul dirt and provide their expertise and assistance. The Wildcat Football Boosters are steadily raising money for field improvements.
But this project is more than a football field. It’s about a community having a need and people in that community figuring out a way to solve their problem.
In 1962 George McClean told the Lee County Coordinating Council and people in a little North Mississippi town they couldn’t wait on TVA, Washington or Jackson to come and fix their problems.
“There is no Santa Claus at the state or national level who can give economic development to rural areas,” said McClean. “The only people who can develop an area are the people who live there.
“Too often we stress agencies, plans, projects and neglect the fundamental, which is action at the grassroot level,” he added.
Those words will ring true in Houlka today. Those words also ring true in Houston, Okolona, Mantee, Vardaman, Woodland and Atlanta tomorrow.
And there is still much work to do.
The Houlka Football Booster Club is seeking assistance, sponsors, funds and in-kind services to get the project off the ground.
We urge the Houlka Community – and Chickasaw County as a whole – not to slow down on this effort. Like football, this is the fourth quarter and the game is still on the line. There are still resources to be found and dollars that can be donated to make this field a reality next fall.